Herr Schnee
by SAmaster01
Summary: The Schnee Dust Company. A corrupt organization that makes it's profit off of the suffering of others. What kind of man would lead such a thing? A villain? A madman? A monster? Or perhaps a man with an honest soul, hounded on from all sides, by society, by the people, and even fate itself.
1. Surveying the Kingdom

As far as he had always been concerned, at the grand old age of eight, with all the wisdom that entailed, to the Heir to the Schnee Dust Company money was magically generated by his father's company. He had a mental picture of money, what it looked like but was hard pressed to explain where such an image came from, because he couldn't recall ever holding it, touching it, or using it.

Of course he knew how money worked. People needed things like clothes, food, homes, and money was an agreed upon commodity that helped people get all these things. There was a limit to everything, but people could trade money around for what they needed. And if they didn't have it, they could just work for it.

But the boy had no practical working of this knowledge. The cooks always provided food, he had always found new clothes in his wardrobe when he had outgrown his old ones, and his home was so large he doubted any catastrophe could ever cause him to need a new one.

He thought this was all nice, but never bothered to think what any alternative might have been. What he lacked was perspective, perspective that he gained one day when his father took him to one of their mines.

From the secure tinted windows of a limousine he saw people, men and women, children his own age and younger, with the most miserable expressions he had ever seen. He had never known that someone could be as sad as those people. They were dirty, their clothes worn and ripped, their eyes distant.

He hadn't been paying much attention before that. He had been spending the day with his father which, as always, meant he would have to learn how to occupy himself while his Father did all kinds of company work that went over his head. But today his father needed to sort out some business in person. This led to a field trip of sorts, and he and his father were in a limousine headed to one of the minds they owned.

He stayed inside the Limo while his father sorted out business. The people outside didn't come too close. Some resting, some working, he couldn't quite tell the difference.

He knew about mines, and he knew about Dust. But he couldn't comprehend how dirty and how miserable this all was. Why he had never been told that a place like this existed? Where the skies were so dark it seemed to taint the light of the sun itself, where misery clung to every living thing. He wasn't even sure he was in the same world that had his home and his room and his bed in it. That he hadn't gone to some old horrible place, where people were to be punished for some misdeeds, or where the dead who refused to die were sent.

It was easy to lose track of how long he stared out the window, but was reawakened from his reverie when his father got back into the Limo like a great gale, the temperature dropping as the heat escaped outside. It almost astonished the boy to see his father in the same irritable mood he was in, unaffected by the horrible world outside. He grumbled as he sat down, and grumbled some more to the driver who sped them away.

"H-How did it go father?" He asked hesitantly.

It took a second for the question to reach his father. "Fine, fine." He grumbled. "More often than not you're better off doing it yourself, I tell you. If only men like us could be everywhere." He said.

"Why was-" The boy hesitated, before trying again. "Who were all those people out there?"

"Hmm? Ungrateful workers." He said contemptuously.

"Why were- they looked so sad." He remarked.

"Harumph." He said. "I give them steady wages, a place to stay. I take them when no-one else will. And the thanks I get is lazy attitudes, and nothing but complaints."

That confused the young boy. "Do you know why?"

"How should I? Ungrateful lot. I have half a mind… Filthy Faunus." He trailed off.

"They were Faunus?" The boy asked. That wasn't something he noticed. Looking back most of their ears and other traits were just as messy as their hair. Thinking on it most of the sad people he saw had been Faunus.

"Of course they were! Only people good for such work." He muttered.

"Why don't they take baths?"

"What?

"If they're so dirty I mean…" He was worried he may have misunderstood his father. But they were rather dirty. He doubted that he'd be smiling if he were as dirty as them.

"That's not what I mean boy." His father said, massaging his temple. "They are people of a lower order. Barely even people. They should thank their lucky stars I'm even willing to employ them. Instead they raise nothing but trouble. Still though, least I can provide work worthy of them. Everything works out in the end boy. But some days require you to give the workings a good kick to ensure they stay working."

The boy nodded, trying to understand, but having difficulty. Mining was difficult work for sure. So it was probably a good thing all those Faunus could work for them like they did. After all they had so much money, he couldn't help but wonder what they earned. Although it didn't look like they had much.

Something had to be off that his father didn't know of. He tended not to pay attention to things that didn't bother him, so it wouldn't be that surprising. It was decided this must be a problem solved without the help of his father.

* * *

><p>"Gray?" The boy asked his butler, as he was being fitted for some new clothes.<p>

"Yes Master?" His butler responded.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did, but don't let me stop you from asking another." He retorted.

"You're a Faunus correct?"

His butler stopped what he was doing to ponder that question. "Yes Master, I am."

He knew that already. Gray was a Dog Faunus, he had floppy ears in his grey hair. "Yesterday Father took me to one of his mines."

"He did, did he?"

"He did." It was odd. His butler seemed nervous. "I saw some workers there. They looked very sad." Gray kept silent at that. He was beginning to act oddly. "I asked father about it, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't know what's going on. I was wondering if you might."

His butler went about silently went about his masters clothes for a while longer.

"Gray?"

"Forgive me Master, it's a difficult topic." He sighed. "Where to even begin?"

"Does that mean you know what the problem is? Are you going to tell me, or give me one of those answers that Father gives me when he thinks I wouldn't understand?"

"You are quite perceptive Master." Gray complimented him.

"Of course I am. I'm not stupid." He defended himself. "It bothers me because they looked so sad. Like, not sad that they didn't get what they wanted for dinner, but sadder than I've ever seen. So something must be wrong. I saw it myself, and I'm very sure that I didn't misunderstand something.

And obviously Father must not understand anything because when I asked he didn't seem too worried, he just complained some more. You know what he's like. I asked if you were a Faunus because most of the people I saw out there were Faunus. I know that you're a Faunus, Gray."

Gray sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He went about the fitting some more but chose to continue. "Mining can be a very tough and difficult line of work." He stated.

"Really?"

"Oh yes, and very dangerous too." Gray said.

"Because there can be cave-ins, and toxic gas." The boy recalled.

"Yes, that." Gray answered. "It can… take a lot out of you."

He thought on that some. "Well if it's so bad, why don't they find other jobs?"

"Well Master… some can't." He explained. "Many people can't find better work, can't move to new places. Many aren't qualified for anything else. Many are stuck with the jobs they have, even if it's not the one they want."

"Is that what it's like being a Butler?"

Gray didn't know if he could withstand this curious child's barrage of questions. "No Master, I rather like my chosen profession. Now stay still."

"Fine." He said, keeping rigid. "In that case I'd much rather be a Butler than a Miner. I know I'm going to end up running the company one day, but I'm just saying that if I had a choice, that's what I would do."

Gray got half of a laugh out of that.

"Still though, if that's their job and they can't do anything else, why don't they make it better?" He asked turning to Gray. "I mean, nobody should be that sad."

Gray couldn't look the child in the eyes. "I don't know Master. You're not wrong. But there are some questions we don't have the answers to."

He didn't like that. But at the very least Gray was trying to answer his questions. "Alright then, if you don't know, and Father doesn't know, and I don't know, who do we know that does know?"

"Master, it's not that nobody knows the answers. It's that these are difficult questions."

"What makes them difficult?" He asked.

"Well …" Gray knew if he lied or made something up he'd be seen through in a second. "It's in regards to the Company I'm afraid. The way they do business... there are many who don't like it."

"Why's that?" The fitting was almost done now. He put down his arms. "I mean, I know mines are dangerous, even if I didn't know how tough the job could be. But people need the Dust we mine so they can fight monsters and stuff. I don't know why anyone would have a problem with that."

"Such an insightful lad ..." Gray remarked ruefully. "I don't think anyone has a problem with what the Company does, just how they go about doing it."

He nodded. "Okay, now that makes sense. Father can be tough to deal with. And I'm his son, so I can see why other people might not like him so much."

Finished, he stepped off the stool while the Butler gathered the measuring tape and put everything away. In a few more minutes his private lessons would start. "But that still doesn't fix anything." The dog ears on his butler betrayed his interest as Gray kept his back turned. "I mean just because something makes sense doesn't mean that it's right. So we still need to do something for the workers. Make them happier. How do we do that?"

Gray chuckled. "I'm not so sure Master. But… it's nice to see that enthusiasm from you. Now off with you, you have some lessons to attend to. Go."

* * *

><p>The one thing that could be counted on in regards to his father would be that he would be behind his desk working. What exactly working was, was something that escaped him. He knew it involved paper and pens, phone-calls, and money and business, but how that ended up coming all together to keep his father occupied was a mystery.<p>

His father sat behind a giant wooden desk, and on a great leather chair studded with brass buttons that the boy used to pretend was a throne, with his father as the king. On his desk were paper, pens, all types of office supplies and a shiny imposing plaque with the name Ebeneezer Schnee on it.

A week or so after their trip to the mines he had decided to come to his father. He had been thinking and thinking. The boy had surprised himself with how much he thought about it. But every time he wondered, he thought back to the misery he had seen plain and simple. And he knew he had no time to rest while there were people like that.

So he knocked on the giant heavy doors to his father's office. Sitting like an immovable king behind a backdrop of a frozen landscape, he was hunched over his desk immersed in his own world of numbers and business. He knocked again and his father was awoken to the same world as he.

"Yes?" He barked. "What is it?"

"Are you busy Father?"

"Horribly so." He stated. He grimaced at his papers. "But I can spare a moment ..."

"Good." He nodded. "Father, you remember when you took me to the mines?"

"…Yes?" He said, stroking his chin.

"Ever since then, I've been thinking about the workers there." He explained, taking some papers from his bag. "I don't think you noticed it, but they looked like they were in some really bad conditions. So I managed to get a look at the budget for them, what we pay them in salaries, and living conditions, health-benefits, things like that. And I drew up my own to improve their condition!"

He walked over to the desk and handed his papers to his Father. There weren't many things the two of them enjoyed doing together, but there was hope that they could both share interest here.

His father looked through the papers, all very impressive for a work of a boy his age, all very formal. All very expensive.

"This is more than double the current budget." He seethed.

"Don't worry, I think there were some problems in the first set of papers I got, we seemed to be spending below minimum in a number of places."

"You're asking me to waste good money on those ingrates!" He yelled.

That surprised him. His father was irritable most times, but he had rarely seen him angry. He had messed up, and gotten his own father mad at him before of course, but this intensity was new. "W-Well, I mean we don't really need that much money, do we? We wouldn't be taking away from the salary of the staff, o-or-"

"It's not about that, you incompetent fool!" He roared. He stayed seated and still, but somehow seemed to double in size without moving. "The share-holders, the stock-brokers! Our business partners! They're not going to take a cut in their earnings just for a bunch of Filthy Faunus! Those incompetent ingrates should be happy with what I give them! And you're saying we should give them more!?"

"U-Um, I-"

"Whatever in the Four Kingdoms gave you such an outlandish idea!?"

"I just saw how bad off the workers were- I- I… um, when I was asking Gray about it-"

"That wretch!" He swore. "I take him into my home, I clothe him, I allow him to serve me, and as thanks he fills my son's head with such poppycock!?" His Father glared at him. Hard. He knew right then he never wanted to see that look ever again. "Get out. GET OUT!"

He ran. He ran as if all the hordes of Grimm on Remnant were at his heels.

* * *

><p>What followed wasn't pleasant for anyone in the Schnee Manor. The boy snuck back to hide outside of his Father's office. It wasn't hard to make out what was going on through his father's bellows.<p>

A lot of the same words and phrases were repeated. All of it was difficult to hear, each word feeling like a blow to his person. It was particularly bad when he could hear the beatings. The yowls of pain, his butler begging to keep his job, crying.

After that experience a state of restless compliance followed. It was easy to avoid his Father. He simply found himself going through his schedule with his head down at all times.

He saw Gray again, bruised, aching, and stiff. The moment he did he ran up to him and desperately through tears try to apologize.

"Gray! I'm sorry! It's all my fault! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He told him.

"Master…" Gray winced. "It's quite alright."

"No it's not!" He told him. "It's not alright! Father, he… he hurt you!"

Gray didn't have a response for that.

"H-How could he do that? You didn't do anything, it was all my fault, whatever it was!"

"You were only trying to do the right thing." Gray assured him.

"Father, he, he can't be allowed to do this, he-"

"Master Schnee." His butler said a little authoritatively. Fortunately they were alone. The Schnee Manor always seemed so empty. With some effort he sat down on a nearby chair. "Earlier, Master Schnee, when you were asking me questions, I tried to avoid saying certain things. But after what happened… after what has happened… If I am to completely honest… this mustn't reach your father, for if it does, I will certainly lose my employment. I might even lose my life. And the things I have to say aren't at all pleasant things. In fact, they are very ugly vile things."

The boy stopped at that, and he thought very thoroughly. But in the end it wasn't a difficult decision, as he knew something was wrong, and it needed to be fixed. So he nodded.

Gray took a moment to compose himself before telling the boy everything. "The Schnee Dust Company… has done many wrongs. It has lied, cheated, and destroyed.

It is the strong abusing the weak. Many great and small want and need Dust, and the Company will supply whoever can buy. And they don't care for what happens so long as they can continue to profit. The rumors that circle the company are endless, and each more worrisome than the last. I don't know how many are true. But from what I've seen from my own eyes here, a great many of the dealings are illegal, some even downright evil. Every type of shady business. And that is what is suffered at the top.

What you saw that day at the mines was the atrocities committed at the bottom where my people, the Faunus, suffer the worst. They live in slums, forced to work almost all hours of the day for almost nothing. People die there, in the places set up for them by the company. You've seen yourself how they live, and it is deplorable. But nobody does a thing. The people stuck there cannot fend for themselves. And those outside care nothing for them."

This was not a revelation that he was ready for. The Schnee Dust Company had only ever been business, one of many machines that magically produced money from its inner workings. He thought there was a problem to be fixed with the workers. Only to discover the fury of his Father. Only to discover everything his life was built on was fuelled by the misery of others.

"Why would you work here then? Work for such a… such a monster?"

"Because-" Gray said. "I am clothed, fed, and I sleep in a warm bed. And if I can keep my head down I avoid… injuries."

"You shouldn't stand for this. You should leave so this never happens again."

Gray shook his head. "This is a nice job, Master Schnee, with good pay. I have family who depend on me. I can't afford to be so delicate. There is no need to worry about me, I've survived plenty, and I can survive this." Gray looked at the miserable boy. "You did a noble thing young Master Schnee. You should be proud of that."

It would be easier to be proud if not for the bruises on Gray's face.


	2. A Tyrant lashes out

The Heir to the Schnee Dust Company was ten-years old now. And with that came a certain sense of cynicism.

His relationship with his father had always been formal, but today it was almost indefinable. They would hardly say a word between the two of them if they were ever in the same room. If Ebeneezer Schnee ever regretted his outburst to his son, he never once showed it.

Life after that hadn't been comfortable. In many respects his life was the same, but he himself had changed. He stopped eating for a while. Who was he, a rich nobody, to eat with food bought with money made off of the toils of others when those same people themselves were starving?

Gray had to force him to eat after that. He told him it was no use letting food prepared for him go to waste, it was there for him, and it wasn't going to last. Letting it waste wouldn't feed the hungry. Gray had then been told to eat his meals for him, he was after all a mistreated Faunus in his father's employ. Surely it would go better to him. Gray had been somewhat insulted by that, and a little less humorous as he pinned his young master down and force-fed him.

The heir to the Schnee fortune remained sullen, refusing to enjoy anything, to partake in anything. Gray had to sit him down for a long discussion, telling him that being miserable wouldn't bring joy to others, refusing what he was given would give it to others. The world's share of happiness and misery wasn't finite. By refusing happiness and accepting misery he wasn't sharing a burden or a joy, he was serving only to be self-destructive. He was frustrated that nothing he could do would pay back those who suffered because of him. Gray instead urged him to be productive rather than destructive.

So he did just that. He decided that if he didn't know how to fix everything that was wrong in his life he would learn how. He remained sullen, but he poured himself into his studies. He decided to be practical, learning economics, business, society studies, law, so that when he took over the company he could undo all the wrongs his father's company had made.

And slowly he learned to be content with that. But unfortunately every time he delved into the company he found more misdeeds for his efforts. Bribes, scandals, illegal imports and exports. The boy started paying attention to the outside world, saw how everyone pointed at the Schnee Dust Company, but nobody could touch them.

It was a heavy task ahead of him. But at least Gray had managed to impart upon him the desire to do something productive with his time, learning everything he could to make the situation better.

At least regarding his life he had reached some stability after so many earth-shattering revelations. In Gray he couldn't help but respect the resilience in the old Butler, who seemed almost invulnerable after his recovery. If he could survive that, then he could survive anything.

But in regards to his father he had no idea what to feel. There was fear still present, but difficult to be stirred up in large quantities. Some measure of contempt. Loathing for being the head of so many misdoings, misdoings he knew to be going through with his active participation. The young Heir was not so naïve as to think that he somehow was unaware of every accusation thrown at him, unaware of their truth, and unaware of the cruelty he had done.

But all this was difficult to reconcile with the image of the old man focused solely on work, caught up in a separate world from his. And it was difficult to gather much of anything when they would meet and part without exchanging words.

He was even looking into enrolling soon. The boy could easily get the finest tutors in the world, but he was sure that if he wanted to set the company back on the right track he would need every opportunity available to him, and so he searched for the best schools in the continent.

Gray was in full support of him. He certainly planned to bring the loyal Butler along. He'd no longer have to worry about his Fathers anger, which had come down on Gray from time to time, but thankfully with no injuries. He'd still remain in employment with full pay, and of course he would still take care of his young Master who'd surely be unable to fend for himself.

The Heir to the Schnee Dust Company found himself outside of his Father's office, never a pleasant thing. But as easy as it was to distance himself from his father in their large estate, there were still some things that required him. One of them was to do the paperwork regarding his enrolment. He could have asked Gray to do it, but he had vowed he would do anything it took to keep Gray from being on the receiving end of his wrath. It was the only thing he really could do to make reparations.

The young boy opened the door without knocking to see his father, standing as regally as ever at his desk, as if he would be there for time immemorial. He coughed. "Father, I've come to hand you the paperwork regarding my school enrolment."

His Father looked up at him and waved him over without saying a word. Handing him the papers, his Father put them with the rest, and expertly scanned them. Just then one of the maids came in with a tea-tray filled with silverware. She set it down on a clear spot on the desk.

"Your tea Master Schnee." She said quietly.

Without looking he grabbed one of the tea-cups which had already been filled for him, and he drank it. His face screwed up in revulsion. "This is the wrong tea." He growled.

"I'm sorry?"

"You heard me, this is the wrong tea!" He told her slamming the tea-cup down on the tray. "Now go fix it!"

"What is the problem Sir?"

"I already told you what the problem was, it's the wrong flipping tea! Are those flapping ears of yours faulty or something!? What use are they!?" He yelled, in regards to her large rabbit ears.

"I'm sorry Sir, I'm not sure I understand-"

"You listen here you useless furball!" He said getting up from his chair. "If you can't follow simple directions I can't even comprehend as to why you were employed in the first place!"

"Father-"

"Let me try something a little simpler that your primitive animal hindbrain can comprehend-"

"Sir I-"

"Father."

His father grabbed the maid, and she began to struggle. He let loose a flurry of words, spittle flying from his lips as his eyes contracted into disturbing anger driven dots. He gripped her wrist hard, causing her to whimper as he was likely bruising her. "YOUR KIND ARE WORTHLESS! WORTHLESS! WE TRY TO BETTER YOU! WE TRY TO MAKE USE OF YOU!"

"Father!"

"AND WHAT DO YOUR KIND DO!?" He pulled her in and then struck her.

"FATHER!" He rushed in, grabbing his Fathers arm, trying to separate the two.

"NOTHING! YOU CONTINUE TO DO NOTHING! YOU ARE NOTHING AND YOU SHALL ALWAYS BE NOTHING!"

With more strength than the man should have had, he easily dislodged the boy as he moved around the desk. He grabbed his son by the head slammed it on the desk as he moved on to the maid.

The boy his face bloody and hurting all over easily collapsed to the floor as his Father bore all his anger and hate on the maid.

* * *

><p>He found out later that there had been a riot amongst the workers. It was bloody, most of them ended up dead towards the end of it, and most of the survivors were crippled. The stock of their company dipped massively. It was apparently the worst disaster in the Company's history.<p>

That didn't really mean much as he looked himself in the mirror. Even Gray had admitted it was a rather nasty scar. It covered most of his bottom lip to his chin, and a little of his top lip. Gray had gotten him to a doctor as soon as he could, and the stitches were still setting. The Doctor told him that there was going to be a scar, nothing to be done. It was still sore, though nowhere near as sore as had been when he first got it.

He practiced expressions in the mirror. Every single one of them looked like either a scowl or a sneer considering the way is skin now pinched the lower part of his lip.

He now felt a hatred for the man who was his Father, for the man who scarred him. A very rational hate for a man consumed by anger, rage, and greed. A man who didn't show him the least bit of sympathy for the damage he had caused him. And it wasn't a low cautious hatred, like the loathing and fear he had suffered for this long. It was very even-paced, burning steadily. He wasn't consumed by it, but it was ever present.

* * *

><p>He soon turned eleven, and was shipped off to school more than half a continent away in Vale. His scar had healed, but it didn't stop being ugly. The maid who had faced the full front of his Father's rage had quit and left town to parts unknown. She was lucky to still be breathing after what she went through.<p>

Gray packed their bags, a respectable amount of clothes and possessions for the two of them, and they left via airship to his new school, a Boarding School for the upper class, meant to educate its class on the ways of high-society.

The facilities were what were necessary. A clean bathroom, a stocked kitchen, bedrooms for the two of them, no expense was missed getting him away from home. Most other students had to share commodities.

As for classes he had his schedule pre-planned, focusing on business, understanding the market and the industry, as well with the political sciences. What he learned here only reconfirmed what he knew from his studies at home, the longer he looked at the world the worse it looked back. But at least he had some measure of control here, far from his Father and his Company.

He could probably be forgiven for keeping to himself. He had never been much for socializing. He turned to his studies, and he had his butler Gray for companionship, a role he was happy to fill. The ugly scar on his lip didn't help. It made him look rather menacing, which he could at least appreciate because it earned him less trouble, if a few wary looks.

The weather and atmosphere here were different. Lighter, warmer, and less oppressive. The seasons were milder. The Schnee Heir had to learn not to pack on so many layers. The people seemed somewhat more relaxed than he was used to. But then again, that could be just the fact that they weren't working for his father.

It was quite an adjustment, as he had never lived anywhere outside of the Schnee Manor. The room afforded him and Gray was much humbler than even his own Bedroom, let alone the entirety of the Manor. But given the state of his home he was quite satisfied with the adjustment. It was a fresh breath, and he no longer felt his Fathers heavy presence here.

And more than anything else he felt that was what he needed.


	3. A Prince on his own

For a couple years the young Schnee boy enjoyed himself in this manner. His time was much more well-documented, more his schools than his own. He no longer quite had the freedom to go where he wanted and do as he wished. But that didn't matter, as he was now free to think what he wanted, and pursue what he wished. He no longer needed to worry about what he said or did, even if he didn't do much of either. Classes were enjoyable even. He doubted that would have been the case earlier in his life. But he had a drive now, a motivation, and it was easier to enjoy anything that brought him to his overall goal.

And thankfully there were few distractions or disruptions. Birthdays' and Family Holidays were more of a hassle than they should have been. But most days he was fed well, and his grade were good, and there was little to worry about.

But of course he couldn't live his life forever without something coming trying to bring it coming down around him.

It was at fourteen, coming back from his economics class, done with studying for the day, heading home early; the rest of his other classes wouldn't be meeting today for various reasons. So he effectively had a half-day that he didn't know what to do with. But the boy was sure though that at least Gray would think of something.

He barely registered the boys following him. Something in the back of his mind understood that they were following, but for some reason that didn't translate to any of the worry he should have had before he was struck on the back of the head and was sent sprawling onto the pavement, his materials spread everywhere on the ground.

The Student clutched the back of his head in pain, and his assailants gave him enough time to recover, and turn to face them.

"How you doing, Schnee?" said the largest one, a boy with some rather menacing horns. He noticed he was surrounded by a group of boys, some were older, some were younger, and most of them were bigger than him.

"Not so good now that you've hit me." The boy told his assailants, still trying to figure out what he was in the middle of. The first thing he could come up with was that whatever was happening the Schnee heir wanted it to end as soon as possible, and that he didn't want to be a part of it.

The downed student was given a kick in the ribs during his musing.

"You think you're better than us Schnee?" A boy with an open jacket and antlers yelled. "That you can do whatever you want because of your father?"

"What?" Another kick to the stomach.

"You have everything in the world don't you?" The head bully stated. "You can't help but lord it over the rest of us? We're not good enough for the great Schnee to speak to, even look at? Can't even bother spitting in our direction?"

"Why would I want to spit at you?" The boy asked as the group of his attackers were getting meaner, taking turns at kicking, hitting him.

"That's a good one," said one of them, "too good to spit at us!"

"Not too good to take money from the back of Faunus Slaves!"

"Not too good to commit tax fraud!"

"Not too good to pollute rivers, and destroy forests!"

The comments like that continued for a while. This was the first time that the Heir to the Schnee Dust Company had gotten into an altercation like this. He had tripped and fallen a few times in his life. And it was impossible to forget when his father had bashed his head on his desk.

But that hadn't been good training for when these boys, these fellow students of his, gave way to hate and anger and let it all out on him. It hurt. A lot. All he could do was curl up in a ball as they gave him blow after blow, taking turns in beating him, berating him. All the boy could do was try to wait it out.

Fortunately something chose to smile on him that day.

"Hey! All of you! Quit it!"

The group chose to stop for a moment, turning to greet the newcomer. Looking from between his hands he saw a smaller girl, with pitch black hair framing her face. She had a long stick in her hands, and a very serious expression on her face.

"What is all this?" She asked.

The boy in charge sneered. He gave another kick to the boy on the ground. "Nothing." He said.

"Doesn't look like nothing." She noted. "In fact, I think it looks like you're beating up on that guy there."

"None of your business," One of them snapped.

"I don't know. Seems like my business." She noted. "I am a defender of justice! And there is some justice that's not going down here! So… either you stop beating on that poor defenceless boy, or!" She brandished her weapon, a long stick, with an over-exaggerated flourish. "I shall be forced to stop you by kicking all your buts!"

The group laughed at her, and half of them continued beating on the Schnee Heir.

"Alright then. You ruffians have given up your living privileges!" She called. She sped in and struck the closest attacker in a flash, who was on the ground before anyone could blink. The boy swore, trying to get back up, but a quick heel to the face solved that problem. She then flashed the rest a murderous smile brandishing her weapon with the same flourish as earlier.

The group soon switched their attention to the girl, rushing at her. She effortlessly dodged the first two clumsy attacks. She struck at the rest as she easily skipped out from between them, assaulting at each one as their backs were turned. She found the largest of them, isolated from the rest, giving a blow to him in the stomach causing him to bend over, she then hit him in the head with a painful thwack downing him.

The rest were soon on her again, but she danced between them, laughing maniacally, they couldn't land a single blow on her, and it was ever apparent how she was playing with them. Two of them came at her on either side, she quickly ducked, both of their heads smashing against the other, their horns interlocking, they made for easy prey as the girl destroyed their footing and sent them tumbling to the ground.

Others were trying to surround her, cutting off any avenue of escape, their patience wearing thin. This proved to be a mistake; she easily kept the assailants at bay, toying with them. Any attempt to close in on her, to grab her, get at her, was met with a smack of her weapon on their person. With a smirk, she stood still for a second, lowering her weapon. Silently agreeing amongst themselves, they charged, and in a whirl she smacked her stick against their faces, severely messing with their coordination. Only one of them stayed on course, and in a flurry of strikes he was sent sprawling.

For the young rich boy curled up on the ground it was at once of the most beautiful and terrifying things he had ever seen.

She redirected her own attention to the stumbling bullies, and expertly she smacked and struck them in ways they couldn't block or avoid, keeping each one of them stumbling before they could focus themselves, or regroup, one by one they were downed, and sent to the ground grumbling and moaning if they were making any noise at all.

Special attention was given to the last man standing, bruises and welts starting to form, panting like a madman, his eyes fixed on the girl as she bounced from heel to heel. The moment he took a step she glided over to him, driving her weapon into every part of his body until he was driven to the ground and stopped moving.

She turned to the boy huddled on the ground, who flinched under her gaze. She purposefully walked up to him, grabbed him by the collar, pulled him to his feet, and patted him down.

"SO! How are you?" She asked.

"Um…" He stuttered lost for all words.

"Looks like these ruffians are dealt with." She stated, looking at the carnage she had wrought, twirling her stick in her hand. "But of course these might not be the last of them! Clearly I must escort you to safety." She hopped on her heels looking around. "Where do you live?"

He squinted at her, sore all over. "I'm sorry, why did you save me?"

"Clearly you are an indefensible young man!" She told him. "Being assaulted by such ruffians, such rascals, I as a defender of justice had no choice to come in and help you!"

He was sure all the blows to the head hadn't helped the confused state but he was struggling understand anything about the girl in front of him.

"I live down that way." He told her.

She nodded firmly. "Alright! Allow me to escort you."

He limped past the unconscious bodies around them, the girl came to his side, and let him lean on his shoulder.

"Thanks." The boy told her.

"Heh, no problem for the likes of me. Those ruffians never stood a chance!" Her smile was almost as intimidating as when she was trouncing said ruffians.

"Um, I'm-"

"I know who you are." She interrupted. "You're the Heir to the Schnee Dust Company. Real quiet kid, always hands his homework in on time. You're like Super-Rich. Then again, that's true for most people here. You're scar makes you really easy to remember. I just have to get by on my eccentric personality. But I can get away with that because I'm rich too!"

"And you are then?" He asked.

"Reina! Reina Kringle!" She said brightly offering her hand, which the injured boy took. They shook firmly.

They walked for a while longer.

"How did you do all the…"

"Fighting?" Reina supplied. "I know fencing! Or rather, I'm taking fencing right now. I like to think I'm rather good at it."

"Well I'm betting those people think so too."

She giggled at that. "Yeah, I bet they do too! So… what did you do?"

"What?"

"What did you do to those guys that got them so riled up?" She said with a curious twinkle in her eye.

The boy got a little more sullen at that, looking back over his shoulder, happy to see they were far away from where they had started.

"They were all Faunus." He explained. "My father's company exploits a lot of Faunus labor in our mines. They live in horrible conditions, and they don't do anything to stop it. They were probably angry at that, and took it out on me."

That took away Reina's smirk for a bit. She was obviously thinking it over as she walked and he limped.

"But you don't have anything to do with that right? I mean, I've heard stories on the news and everything, but you're too young to have done anything right?" She asked, to which the boy on her shoulder nodded. "Well then good! I mean, you're also not planning to do anything like that, right?" Again he nodded. "Well then double good! I don't have to feel bad about helping you. Those guys were probably going about justice in their own way, but they were going about it wrong! Don't you worry, Mr. Schnee, I'll give those ruffians a stern talking to later!"

The Schnee boy really didn't want to lecture his savior on her hypocrisy, so Reina took him the rest of the way in silence until they were back to his dorm. They were greeted by Gray who was dismayed at the sight, and the injured boy was soon set down in his room, and fussed over by his Butler, looking him over like a worried nanny.

Reina for her part was content to sit on the bed, kicking her feet back and forth, relaying the whole story with a good bit more grandeur than was necessary. Gray was too distracted by the condition of his young Master to listen too strongly, but he got the gist that Reina had been there to help.

Bandaged perhaps a little more than was necessary, Gray turned to Reina.

"Thank you Ms. Kringle." He said, bowing deeply. "I don't know what would have happened had you not been there for the young Master."

That was easy to figure out; the rich Heir would be much more black and blue than he was now.

"No problem!" Reina cheered. "Not like I really had a choice, what would anyone do when given a chance to ruff up some ruffians?"

"Yes, well…" Gray muttered. "I am Gray Roberts, the Young Master Schnee's Butler. It's a pleasure to meet you young Ms. Kringle. If there's anything I can ever do for you, do not hesitate to ask."

"Well…" Reina thought. "Do you have any hot chocolate?" She asked.

"I'll... go and take a look."

"Thanks!" She said as Gray left to the kitchen. "This place is nice! Swanky! I just have a bedroom to myself and that's it."

"Can you not afford something better?" The injured boy asked.

"Oh no, I probably can. Except my Dad's cheap. Well, he's not really cheap, I mean he's super-rich too, and he's always giving to charity, but he's cheap with the money he doesn't. Of course he says that's so he has more to give to charity, but I don't know…" She turned to the Schnee Heir. "You don't talk that much, do you?"

"I talk as much as I have to." He defended. "You just talk an extraordinary amount."

She giggled at that. "Maybe you're right." She turned to stare at him. "Hey you want to be friends?"

"What?"

"You heard me! Friends!" She explained, flopping back on the bed.

"…Do you not have any friends?" He asked.

"I have friends!" Reina cried, "Just not many. I only got here recently, so I don't know too many people. You've been here a while right? And you don't talk to anyone, well you talk to me, so even more reasons to be friends. But you're alone all the time, so you could probably use a friend. Not to mention you sometimes get attacked by ruffians… it's decided!" She declared leaping from the bed. "I will be your friend and guardian! Clearly you won't survive without a defender of justice such as myself around to, well, defend you!"

The Schnee Heir was beginning to wonder about his head injuries.

"I'm sorry?"

"Don't be!" Reina declared with a giggle. "I don't mind! Besides, I think you're interesting, even if you try to act like you're not!"

"How is that… what?"

"You're rich! But you're a loner! You get attacked by ruffians, yet you can't defend yourself. Despite that, and my eccentric manner, I haven't heard you complain once! And you have a Butler! A really cool fancy looking one too, he speaks all formal and is really nice, which is different from our butler who is lazy and fat, and sometimes he looks at me and-" She shivered at that. Reina then advanced on the injured boy before he could react. "And! You have a mysterious scar on your lip that gives an air of mysterious attractiveness."

"I… do?"

"So it's settled then! You and I are going to be friends!" And with that she bounced back on the bed, just in time for Gray to return with Hot Chocolate for the both of them.


	4. A crisis abroad

The Heir to the Schnee Dust Company was stuck with the girl known as Reina Kringle.

Gone were the long and plentiful days of quiet study, as now there was always to be some adventure or another to be had. The rich heir though didn't complain, for one he no longer had to worry for his health and safety, Reina had given the Ruffians a stern talking to, and when that proved not to be enough she gave them a really stern talking to.

Reina was a puzzle the studious student couldn't really puzzle out. Seemingly endless energy, a disregard for anything or anyone that disagreed with the way she went about things, but a strong set of morals and convictions that she never wavered from for a second.

And she was popular. And she was sociable too. Never even had a problem with her schoolwork, despite how often she complained.

Yet for some reason she never tired of the Schnee Heir, even if she never hesitated to note how quiet, sullen, and withdrawn he was.

The student did his research on her, it wasn't hard to find. Her father was the head of a massive charity firm, which managed to make enough of a profit to keep Reina and her family comfortable for the rest of her days. So he doubted that it was money she was after, especially considering he didn't have access to any of the Company's money, just an allowance to get him by during his education, and from what he had personally seen of the girl Reina certainly wasn't playing the long game.

They studied together. Which was an activity he could enjoy before Reina got bored and decided they would go pirate hunting. So it was never as if she needed the boy as an educational aide.

And she made friends whenever she wanted or needed to. She was a force unto herself, and everyone would be swept into her path if she ever wanted to. And it soon became obvious to all when she started carrying a rapier by her side that he wasn't needed as some form of deterrent against any ruffians.

So young Mr. Schnee couldn't fathom as to why no matter what he did, Reina would come back to drag him into some escapade like a boomerang.

But he never complained. She didn't detract from his studies in any way, or anything else important. And often enough Reina proved to be a useful distraction from his thoughts. Reina and Gray got on well enough, Gray was always happy to see her, though with a slight measure of worry, she ran much more quickly than the old Butler did. And the Heir to the Schnee Dust Company couldn't help but admit it from time to time, as tiring as she was, he enjoyed being Reina's friend, and at the very least he had to give some worth into the effort she gave in regards to their friendship.

So it was in this regards that the two of them grew up together during their time at school, both of them being dragged to the others important life events. It didn't help that Reina was the only one who had a say in the matter, and her say was that she was going to be involved.

Such an incident happened to him when he was seventeen, searching news stories on his Scroll. He was almost thrown onto the pavement when Reina tackled him.

"Yo!" She cried as the person she was riding struggled for balance. "Ooh! Nice jacket! It's shiny!" She said referencing his heavy coat Gray had gotten him, which was a shiny reflective silvery color. Today was the first day he had decided to wear it.

"Please… off!" He managed, and Reina easily dismounted.

"Hey! I want you to meet a friend of mine!" Reina called skipping ahead. She skipped back when it became apparent that her friend was going to keep his own pace. "She's a loner like you!"

"I'm not a loner." The young Schnee defended.

"You're a total loner." Reina said giggling. "If it weren't for me, you'd be a complete loner."

They walked companionably in the breeze for a while. Looking up from his scroll and at his friend he sighed. "What's your plan this time?"

"No plan. I just think you two should be friends!" She said with a giggle.

That was dubious. But he had no real reason to object to his friends plan. He had nothing important to take care of at the moment. And while he was always suspicious of Reina's schemes he hadn't really been led wrong by her yet. So with a shrug he relented and she cheered.

Easily being led by Reina to a bench where the friend he was to meet waited, he froze when he saw her.

"Tada!" Reina said introducing the girl, who sat rather stiffly on the bench. "This is Marcia! She's a musician! She plays the Saxophone! This-" She said, grabbing her other friend roughly. "Is Mr. Schnee! He's rather boring all things told, but he has a rather intimidating scar that lends him a certain sense of mystery."

He blinked. "You never use my first name." He noted.

"What?"

"You never refer to me by first name." The boy repeated.

"Maybe we're not close enough yet." Reina suggested.

"We've known each-other for years!"

"Hmm… you're right…" Reina thought, and then came to a conclusion with a giggle. "Okay it's decided! You and I are too close to use first names! We have to think of affectionate nicknames for each other!"

"Reina-"

"No!" She declared holding up a finger. "You need to think up an affectionate nickname for me! And as for you…" She looked her annoyed friend up and down, and was struck with inspiration in the form of another giggle. "Imma gonna call you Tinsel!"

"What?"

"Yeah, because of that there fancy jacket you're always wearing." Reina nodded resolutely. "It's shiny. Like tinsel! So that's what I'm gonna call you from now on!" Another giggle.

"I just started wearing this today!" He cried out.

"It's decided from henceforth I shall always refer to you as Tinsel!" The Schnee Heir was sincerely hoping that this was going to be one of those things Reina would tire of and forget about the following week. "Okay!" She said back to her authoritarian stance. "You two sit here get to know eachother!" She shoved the newly dubbed Tinsel onto the bench next to Marcia. "Meanwhile! I shall get ice-cream!"

And with that she ran off before either of them could say or do anything.

Reina was a self-admitted eccentric. But the boy couldn't understand what mad thought ran through her head to think that this was a good idea.

Marcia was a Faunus. Specifically with long Rabbit ears that twitched in the breeze. Both of them were trying not to stare at the other.

The young Mr. Schnee wasn't quite as oblivious as he once was. He knew he had a reputation, justified or not. He was a loner as Reina described. His habits were far from sociable, Reina being his only real regular contact, and her presence did little to dissuade peoples assumptions, save that they thought somehow he had been the one to bring her under his sway. And due to his looks he seemed quite the intimidating one. His frame had grown, he had quite the firm body, even if he lacked the muscle to back it up. And as he knew his scar made him appear to be always sneering or scowling. Add all that on top of what people already assumed from him due to his Father and his dealings with the Company, he understood he was less than well-liked by most of the student populace.

And that was simply for the Humans for as far as he could tell. Rumors circulated of instances when he had beaten up Faunus, though thankfully they didn't seem to go too far. As awkward as this was for him, he could only imagine how awkward it was for the girl beside him.

She looked so much like that maid. The maid who had come to serve his father tea at the wrong moment. That day that his own father had permanently scarred him. He traced the ugly line on his lip.

Not a word was exchanged between the two of them. Both very pointedly not looking at the other. More than a few passing students glanced their way.

Reina came back triumphant with ice-cream in hand. "I have returned!" She announced, plopping down between them, handing them both their cones. Strawberry for Marcia, Chocolate for Reina, and for Tinsel it was a plain vanilla. "Ice-Cream is of course one of the best means of making friends! So! What you two been talking about?" She asked nudging each of them in the ribs.

"Oh! Nothing really!" Marcia said, the first time that she had spoken during their meeting.

"Aw, really? That sounds boring..." Reina deflated somewhat. "Come on! Let's talk about something interesting! Tinsel!" The boy in the shiny coat cringed. "Say something interesting."

"Like what?" He offered.

"I don't know. Business stuff. You like business."

"You hate business." He countered. "You say it's the most needlessly boring thing in all of existence."

"Yes, but we'd be talking about something." She surmised. "You know, instead of talking about how we have nothing to talk about."

Despite her best efforts Reina couldn't lift the tense atmosphere. So they had their ice-cream in silence.

"Okay!" Reina decided. "We obviously need to know each-other better if we're going to be friends!" She stated once she had swallowed her cone. "So, lets take turns asking each-other deeply personal questions!"

"Let's not? Please?"

"No dice Tinsel!" Reina giggled. "I'll start! Marcia! Why do you play the saxophone?"

"Um, I…" She trailed, fiddling with her skirt. "I like jazz."

"And…?" Reina leaned in expectantly.

"Well, I want to become a musician."

"See that's cool!" Reina said with a giggle. "Okay, now you ask Tinsel a question! Go on! Go!"

He tried to face her without really looking at her. Marcia seemed to be doing the same. "Okay then, well… what's your favorite class?"

"Business." He answered quickly. "I have a knack for numbers."

"Oh."

"My turn!" Reina declared. "Tinsel! Ask me a deeply personal question."

"Don't I know everything about you already?"

"Nope!" Reina answered. "I have a few more mysteries left up my sleeve! Okay, Marcia's turn again… hmm…" Reina leaned in close again, and looked back and forth between her two friends.

"Oh!" Reina hopped in her seat. "Do you two like each-other?"

"What?" The two of them cried their eyes meeting, and then quickly looking away from each-other.

"Ah looks like I might have hit something…" Reina said steepling her fingers.

"Reina no!" The boy stated. "That's not it! Not it at all!" Marcia looked somewhat indignant like that. "We've only just met!"

"Because of course someone like you would never go out with likes of someone like me." Marcia said, a cold edge to her words.

"Why not?" Reina asked, her hyper exterior subtly straining.

"I mean-" The Schnee Heir was straining for words. "You're not interested in me either, right?"

"No of course not." The edge to her words getting sharper. "I would never be interested with the likes of someone like you."

"H-Hey there!" Reina said, trying to play mediator. "Why so serious? We're supposed to be friends right? Or becoming friends? Marcia it's your turn, ask Tinsel something."

Marcia breathed, but it seemed all of her awkward hesitation had been burned off. "Tell me." She said. "Tell me why you wouldn't be interested in me."

"Because-" He hesitated hoping he was using the right words. "we've only just met, and you don't seem to like me, and-"

"The real reason." She demanded. "Tell me the real reason to my face!"

"That is the real reason!" He yelled.

"Okay! I-It's your turn Tinsel!" Reina tried cowering between the two.

"Reina!" Marcia said sharply. "Why did you bring him here? Why did you bring me here? Was it just to mock me? Put me back in my place?"

"Wha-what are you talking about?" Reina asked.

"You know full well what I'm talking about!" Marcia said, getting up. "Him! Don't act stupid about it either! He's the Heir to the Schnee Dust Company! Everyone here at this school knows that! His company exploits my people! Just because my family can afford to send me here don't think that I'm not aware what happens out there in the real world!"

"Hey!" The boy in question yelled. "Can I say something here?"

"No you may not!" Marcia yelled. "I don't want to hear your petty justifications! You're excuses, your pitiful filibuster that keeps you and all those around you outside of a jail-cell where you belong!"

"Marcia, don't you think that's a little harsh?" Reina asked.

"Harsh?" She yelled. "What should I expect, of course you're on his side."

"I'm on no-ones sides!" Reina tried. "I just thought we could all be friends together!"

"Are you kidding me?" Marcia cried. "I'm not some pet-project of yours that you can do whatever you like! I'm not some pet!" She glared at both of them. "I'm leaving."

"Hey!" The Schnee boy moved without thinking, grabbing her wrist as she tried to storm off.

"Let go of me." Marcia said coolly and deliberately.

"Apologize." He said sternly.

"To you?"

"To her." He answered. "None of this is her fault. Reina was just trying to do a good thing. So apologize."

"I'm not going to answer to someone like you."

They glared at each-other for awhile like that. Until someone from the crowd none of them had noticed forming came to sock the boy gripping Marcia's wrist across the jaw sending him down onto the ground.

"Pick on someone your own size Schnee!" Another boy, another Human boy who had done the deed called. The rich Heir on the ground looked up and around to see a crowd of fellow students formed, uniform in their ill-will against him. He stumbled back to his feet, a few feet from everyone, wary of those around him.

"None of us will put up with you Schnee!"

"Yeah!"

"Don't even try anything!"

The crowd was obviously against him. He felt something boiling inside of him at the unfairness of the situation. But he wasn't an idiot. He kept quiet, kept his head down. "Fine. I'm leaving." He said. Turning with everyone's eyes on him he left. Someone with good enough aim spat in his face. Reina for her part hurriedly got up from out of her seat to follow her friend, her head turning every which way, obviously confused by the turn of events.

Fishing a handkerchief from her pocket she handed it to the shamed and humiliated boy, who in turn refused it and wiped his face with his sleeve.

"What were you trying to do?" He asked Reina.

"I um… just thought you could use another friend." Reina supplied. "Because you don't talk to many people."

"Have you ever wondered why that is Reina?" Came the sharp response.

"Be-because you don't make friends easily like me?" She asked.

"Because stuff like that happens. Because… people can't look at me, can't hear my name without expecting certain things. And you can't just ignore that stuff!" He turned to his only friend, at the very least they were away from onlookers now. "You can't act like the rest of the world doesn't matter!"

"I'm not stupid!" Reina defended herself. "I know about the rumors people spread about you! They're horrible! I just… I thought if people could see you could make friends with people, then the rumors would stop…"

"And you thought what exactly? That Marcia and I could just sit down and pretend that all the horrible stuff in my life has never happened? That the company that pays for my tuition makes money by exploiting people? That the she hasn't heard all the rumors about me?"

"Well… maybe." Reina said rather subdued.

"Well the world doesn't work like that Reina!" He yelled. "You can't just want something and make it so! Not even you! You can't fix everything wrong with me that easy! There are some wrongs in my life that will never be righted!" It dawned on him. He finally understood. "You pity me."

"What? I-"

"Marcia was right. You treat people like pets, like you can do whatever you want with them, with no consequence to yourself! Like their lives are yours to enjoy! You're just a selfish girl who does as she please when she pleases."

"No…" Reina said weakly, her eyes downcast. "No I'm not like that at all…"

"I never asked for you to be in my life. But you just did as you pleased without once thinking about how I felt about it. I'm just a toy to amuse you because you're bored, a project to tinker on. Well I never asked you to fix me, all this time I've been trying to fix myself, and I never needed your help!"

The Schnee Heir angry at the world stormed off without looking back. "Goodbye Reina."

* * *

><p>The way back to the apartment was like a thick fog had engulfed his mind, and it stayed that way as he sat with Gray.<p>

Gray would be there for him, to console, give him advice, tell him what to do. But the Master couldn't bring that on his Butler. For all the good it would do, Gray kept his ears to the ground, by the next day he'd find out about the whole thing. Already the servant could see something was bothering his Master, but kept his tongue still for the moment. The best course, Gray had evidently decided, was a small but well-cooked meal, and some silent support.

Which at least helped the ailing students mind, some of the fog had lifted had allowed some thoughts to enter but nothing coherent.

Anger.

Regret.

Sadness.

Fear.

Self-Loathing.

More anger if less intense than it had been.

Long hours were spent staring at the ceiling that night.

* * *

><p>The Schnee's Heir's feet seemed unable to obey him. As despite all sound judgment he was walking towards the female dorm. It hadn't been hard to look up the address of the person he was seeking.<p>

He only hesitated in front of the door to see if any logical thought or reason would come to reassure him, but none came, so he knocked regardless.

Marcia opened the door and greeted the boy with the scar on his lip with a silent glare. They were like that for half a minute before the boy in question could respond with a statement.

"I'm not racist." He tried lamely. Marcia's glare didn't lessen, so he spent the next minute searching for something else to say, as he was unable to think of anything. "I've been in three fights my entire life. That was one of them I think."

The hostility was lessened somewhat due to the way he said it, considerably diminishing the boy's apparent threat.

"The last time was when I was walking home, and a group of… boys… started beating me. I just curled up in a ball waiting for it to end. Reina saved me. That's when we first met." He tried to explain.

The hostility was replaced with a sense of awkwardness that was difficult to determine which was better.

"And the first time was when I, um… when I got this scar." He said, tracing the injury in question. "I was…" He swallowed. "it was… it was with…" He sighed, eyes downcast. "With my Father."

That surprised Marcia.

"I was trying to top him from beating a maid. You um, you look like her."

There were several more minutes of silence before it became apparent that the Schnee Heir wasn't going to continue.

"Did you come to apologize?" Marcia asked.

"I'm sorry." He said quickly. "I probably should have started with that. Be um, be mad at me. I uh, lost my temper… but Reina, she, she was just trying to do something good. It wasn't very smart, I know. But she doesn't think these things through. The intent was good at the very least… just please don't be angry at her, please. She… doesn't deserve that."

"Is that all?" Marcia asked.

"Yeah. I won't bother you anymore. Just um, if you could tell her I'm sorry too?"

Marcia kept her expression still while she was contemplating it. "Okay."

"Thank you. I'll just… go…" And with that he left.

* * *

><p>Studying was an apparently useless activity. It did nothing to distract one's thoughts or pull ones focus. And as an educational supplement the activity was as fruitless as staring at the ceiling had been.<p>

As was discovered by the ravaged Heir to the Schnee Dust Company. As an idle thought he wondered how long it would be until he could do something productive. He had effectively ruined his one friendship at this school. So the only thing left was to study and focus on his studies, something that he was currently incapable of doing.

But there was nothing else to do. Gray didn't deserve to shoulder his Master's burdens. There was no-one else to seek. And the students list of past-times and hobbies was rather small.

But Reina would no longer be in his life to serve as a distraction, to yank him from melancholy. That bridge had been burned. And he would have to suffer the consequences, for his one uncontainable burst of irrational anger. A sign of his pitiable weakness.

As if sensing all the wallowing being done Reina grabbed him by the shiny collar, and dragged him away from his place of study in the library to a secluded spot far away enough from any potential onlookers.

"If you're going to yell then start yelling." Reina told him, as stern as ever.

Words yet again escaped him. Seeing this Reina breathed, and began to explain. "I spoke to Marcia. To say sorry. She told me you did the same. She spilled everything." Her eyes glanced to the scar on his lip. "So I thought about that. And everything you said. And eventually I came to the conclusion that what happened last night was all our faults. You me and Marcia. So, we both apologized to Marcia, and she told me you said sorry, so…" She breathed. "Tinsel, I'm sorry."

Gray was going to have to burn that shiny jacket he had purchased it was decided.

"So… that's that. Right?"

The Schnee Heir turned away, scratching at his neck.

"Reina, I don't think we can be friends anymore."

Reina shook her head. "Not going to happen." She then cut him off before he could respond. "All the things you said to me earlier weren't wrong. They hurt, but they weren't wrong. And it was probably best that I heard it from you. But!" She waved an accusatory finger at him. "There are some things I need to tell you as well! So we can be even. You're a moper! You mope! And if not for me that's all you ever do. I distract you from it. I know that doesn't fix things, but neither does moping when you can't do anything about it. And you don't try either! If you don't think something will work, you don't try to. You just mope instead! Whereas I always try, even if I know it won't work, because maybe, just maybe, I can prove everybody wrong! I know I'll look stupid while I'm doing it, but I don't care about that. And! …actually that's all I can think of at the moment. Point is! Neither of us are perfect."

She breathed for a moment recomposing herself.

"So, what I'm going to do is try to be better. I don't pity you Tinsel. But I do feel sorry for you. And I want to make you feel better, because you don't deserve to be miserable. Okay? Just because we're both rich doesn't mean we have to hate ourselves. And I know you can do just fine trying to fix yourself. That you don't need me to try to do everything. But you also don't need to do it all on your own either. I don't think you're a pet. Even if I can be really selfish. I think you're my friend! And since we're friends we support each-other. I only ever try to do what I think something a good friend should do. So in short… you know you do a much better job at talking with fewer words than I do…"

"Not really." He supplied.

Reina looked him up and down. "Still not convinced then? Even after all my speeches about friendship?"

"Reina… People like you. They don't like me. Being my friend doesn't do you any favors. "

"Don't care." She said resolutely.

"Why be my friend though?" The Schnee Heir asked. "What makes all the trouble worth it?

"Because… It's the right thing."

"Even if I'm asking you not to?"

"It's because I want to." Reina said. "I know I'm selfish. But I want us to stay friends. And I don't want you to throw our friendship away. Because the world isn't going to come looking for you. That's my job. And I have to do it, no-one else will." Then she blinked. "Oh!"

"What?"

"I'm in love with you." She noted. Then she blinked again and saw her friends blushing face. She smiled.

"What? F-For how long?" He stuttered.

"Just now." She answered brightly. "It makes so much sense! Obviously I'd only go through all this silly effort for somebody I love!" She giggled.

"Just now? Reina you can't decide something like that so easily!"

"And why not!" Reina countered. "It's my heart! I can decide who I'm in love with, and it just so happens to be you! So deal with it."

"But- but why me?" Said the Schnee Heir.

"Hmm… that's a toughie." Reina puzzled. "I mean despite your mysterious exterior you're quite a boring person." She shrugged with a giggle. "Who knows! Doesn't matter I guess."

"Reina! Don't decide things so casually will you!?"

"I don't see why you're so upset. I would think that you'd be rather happy that a cute energetic girl such as myself is in love with you." Reina said. Then another blink of realization. "You're gay!"

"I'm not gay!" He stated, worrying for his mental health.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"Really sure?"

"Really very sure yes!"

"Darn." Reina muttered. "In that case, you obviously must already be madly in love with someone." She snapped her fingers. "I knew it! You do have a thing for Marcia!"

"No I don't!" He cried. "And that's not racist!"

"I didn't say that it was." Reina noted.

"I know I just, I feel I have to say that…" He trailed off.

"But you are in love! Tell me Tinsel! Who is it! I need to know!"

"I'm not having this conversation with you Reina!" He said, pointedly avoiding looking at her eyes.

"It's okay, it's okay!" She cheered. "You don't have to worry about hurting my feelings. As my friend, and as the object of my affections I'll support your love regardless of who it is! And if need be, I'll stand to the side, admiring you from afar, still cheering you on! So tell me gosh darn it, I needs to know!"

"No."

"Tell me!"

"No!"

"Tell me or else I will have to unleash my ultimate weapon!"

"Never!"

"In that case you leave me no choice!" With that Reina took a deep staggering breath. "Tell-me-tell-me-tell-me-tell-me-tell-me-tell-me-tell-me-tell-me-tell-me-tell-me-tell-me-tell-me-tell-me-tell-me-tell-me-tell-me-tell-me-tell-me-tell-me-I-can-do-this-forever-tell-me-tell-me-tell-me-tell-me-tell-me-tell-me-tell-"

"It's you, you dolt!" The rich young Heir of the Schnee Dust Company said, red in the face, and panting from the frustration.

"-me. M-me? YOU'RE in love with ME?" Reina blinked several times trying to process this information. "How long?"

"I… don't know. A long… long time… I… guess…"

"When exactly? What made you fall madly in love with me? Was it my smile? My infectious laughter? The way I brighten up your day, and make you smile?"

"I don't know okay! It just… happened, and then I uh, um, I… realized… that uh… I was… in love… with you."

Reina pondered that. "You've been in love with me this entire time and you didn't say anything?"

"I didn't know what to do okay!?" He defended himself. "You know now, happy?"

"No!" Reina stated. "This is a horrible love-confession, if you are going to confess your deepest most innermost feelings for me from the bottom of your heart you are seriously going to have to do better!"

"What?"

"You heard me! Better! Get the right mood going! Do it in a way that shows off how well you know me, at least send me mysterious love letters over the course of a year or something! Go on! Get started! Go!"

"Me? What about you!" He accused. "You did the exact same thing to me just five minutes ago!"

"You're right!" Reina stated her eyes shining. "I've messed up my chance to confess my feelings of love. And it was my one chance too."

"Yeah! So that means… that we're uh… in the same boat."

"Oh what to do, what to do…" Reina muttered. "I need to think of a way to one-up myself in a very romantic and endearing fashion." hmm… oh!" With a spark of inspiration in her eye, and a mad grin, she fell down on her knees and grabbed the boys hand. "I love you Tinsel." She said, staring him in the eyes. " From the bottom of my heart. Will you marry me?"

"…Yes!"


End file.
